welding up a 400
 

ok so i ran my 400 lean and ended up with about a 1/8 to 1/4 deep groove between the #3 and #5 cylinder on the block and head.Many people have been telling me i can have this welded and it will be fine.It is bored 40 over already so more boring after welding is not a option.Is it possible to sleeve a siemese bore engine?

Sleeving a 400 blocks is not a good idea as we have seen them crack from the bolt hole to the cylinder many times cause a 400 has thin decks and thin cylinders plus you will distort the cylinders on each side of the sleeve.

http://speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic...ing+400+blocks

Would it work better if the block were half filled? Seems that the block would be more stable.

Welding
 

Do the right thing. Thank your block for it's service, give it a good burial, and go get another one. Don't be tempted to try and save it when you know better.

If you machine another stock block, you may have enough invested in 2 stock blocks to own one good aftermarket block.

An SHP Dart would be a good investment over the next few racing seasons.

I also strongly agree with Mark.
I was going to reccomend the SHP block last week but before posting rememered that SHP only comes in 350 main journals.
If you already have a 400 block and ratating assembly you have the large journal mains, so you would have to start all over again with a new crank to fit the SHP and rebalancing your rotating assembly.
For all that, I would just step up to the Little M Dart block with 400 mains, and you will have an awesome block to build on for many years to come (that is if you don't put windows in it...?)
Yes, it is a few more dollars now, but will save you a lot in the long run and you will have a brand new block of new design rather than a 30 year old block on its last leg...

X2....would be money well spent.

only thing is money!!!! I can get a stock block for around $3-400. Dart blocks are $2300

A Dart SHP block all machined is 1795.00

welded deck
 

I welded a 350 block between the cyl and decked it and put 700 passes on it as a 385 before the crank broke and I buried it then . used a high nickel rod .Later J.Smith 4621 racing

welded block
 

The oil pan you see in my pic is unded that block. Later J.Smith 4621 racing